Police chief opens up cash pot to community groups

Julia Mulligan, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, who is seeking community groups to benefit from a cash pot

Published:16:14Sunday 25 August 2013

Community groups are among those being offered the chance to apply for upwards of £20,000, courtesy of a cash pot from North Yorkshire’s inaugural crime commissioner.

Crime tzar Julia Mulligan has launched the second phase of her Community Fund.

The fund enables local community groups, individuals and organisations to apply for cash grants of between £500 and £20,000 for one-off projects that help keep their local communities safer.

Then first phase of the Community Fund was launched in May this year, and has received a significant amount of interest, and the applications are still going through the formal approval process.

The money has been made available after “prudent financial management” and a better than expected financial settlement from central government created a small budget surplus for the year.

Mrs Mulligan, who has recently been criticised for splashing out £10,000 on a new logo for her office, said: “I am delighted that the fund has received so much interest from a wide variety of worthwhile community projects across North Yorkshire and the City of York. As we move into quarter two of the Community Fund process I’d like to invite applications from anyone. We really want to see the people at the centre of communities coming forward with their ideas, however developed they are.

“I know money is hard to find for community projects so I am very pleased to be able to support people in this way.

“The fund is one of the things I promised to do in my police and crime plan, which is all about keeping people safe and helping them to feel safe.

“I’m also making it as easy as possible for people to be successful in securing the money via a Helpline and offering a single point of contact to help oversee each project.

“All you need to do is call 101 and ask for the Community Fund or log onto my website.

“We’ll then guide you through the process.”

For further information please visit www.northyorkshire-pcc.gov.uk and the application form and guidance notes can be downloaded there.